( – promoted by lowkell)
Loudoun Republican leaders have twice in the past week advanced their ideological crusade to degrade and diminish LGBT Virginians. Sterling Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, who earns his living as the president of a nationally-recognized hate group, issued an outrageous statement blasting President Obama for his support of same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, in Richmond, Delegates David Ramadan (R-87) and Tag Greason (R-32) followed the lead of noted homophobe and former Loudoun Delegate (and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate) Bob Marshall in rejecting the nomination of an eminently well-qualified prosecutor and decorated Navy veteran for a General District Court Judgeship, based solely on the fact that he is gay.
Supervisor Delgaudio has become infamous for his homophobic rantings and anti-gay activism [Lowell’s note: see photo at left for an example]. He earns his living, and raises large sums of money, by promoting a radical agenda of bigotry and intolerance, all while representing the citizens of the Sterling District. Earlier this year, his organization (“the Public Advocate of the United States”) was labeled a Hate Group for its anti-gay activities by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nationally recognized civil rights organization. Now Delgaudio, in a recent interview with the Loudoun Times-Mirror and on his organization’s website, has assailed President Obama for his recent endorsement of same-sex marriage. Delgaudio claims President Obama’s stance “disrespects women, God’s values and his own spouse and embraces the all powerful and well funded Homosexual lobby in their insatiable demand for the destruction of marriage.”
“The Loudoun Democratic Committee reiterates its call for Eugene Delgaudio to resign immediately from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. If Mr. Delgaudio refuses to do the right thing, Chairman York should use his authority as Chairman to strip Mr. Delgaudio of his positions on the Board’s various subcommittees,” stated LCDC Chair Evan Macbeth. “Delgaudio’s continued rantings against the LGBT community bring shame and embarrassment on our county and make it clear that he is unfit to hold public office. Delgaudio’s brand of hate and ignorance should have no place in Loudoun County and we should demand and expect that he be held accountable.”
After midnight Tuesday morning in Richmond, Delegates David Ramadan and Tag Greason voted against an openly gay candidate for a General District Court Judgeship. Mr. Tracy Thorne-Begland, the Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in the City of Richmond and a decorated Navy veteran, had been nominated by a Republican Delegate. The opposition to Thorne-Begland was led by Del. Bob Marshall, who criticized Thorne-Begland for his support for gay marriage and his public stance against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” when he was in the in Navy 20 years ago. Ramadan and Greason made no public comments to explain their decisions; they simply voted with a majority of their Republican colleagues against his nomination.
Loudoun’s senior Democratic Senator, Mark Herring, issued a statement condemning the rejection of Thorne-Begland: “The treatment that Mr. Thorne-Begland received by the General Assembly, well after midnight Tuesday morning, was disgraceful and offensive. Mr. Thorne-Begland is a highly qualified prosecutor who served our country with distinction as a member of the United States Navy. His nomination to the General District Court bench was rejected by a majority of Republicans in the General Assembly solely because of his sexual orientation. Together with many of my fellow Virginians, I am embarrassed by what I witnessed take place early this morning.”
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